Singapore Badminton Scene

Discussion in 'Professional Players' started by Loh, Jul 2, 2012.

  1. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Neo and Chrisnanta rue missed chance

    The New Paper
    Saturday, Mar 09, 2013


    By Gregory Loo


    They were looking good for the Round of 16 in the mixed doubles at the All-England Championships on Wednesday when they took on Indonesia's world No. 7 pair Muhammad Rijal and Debby Susanto.

    However, after taking the opening set and racing to an 11-8 lead in the second, at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, things went downhill for Singapore's newly-minted world No. 9 pair of Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Vanessa Neo.

    Perhaps sensing the finishing line, errors began to creep into their performance. The Indonesians got back into the tie in a close second set and eventually prevailed 13-21, 21-17, 21-14.

    Speaking to The New Paper after the match, Neo could not contain her disappointment.
    "It feels damn wasted and very disappointing because I feel, among all the seeds, this was the best draw we could get," said 25-year-old.

    "We didn't grab the opportunity."

    Her partner was equally-disappointed and he shouldered the blame.

    "In the second and third game, they played more steadily," said 25-year-old Chrisnanta.

    "I felt I made a lot of mistakes and my confidence dropped a bit."

    Due to the Singapore Badminton Association's planned schedule, the Singapore team of Chrisnanta and Neo, men's singles shuttler Derek Wong and women's singles player Gu Juan, travelled to England without coaches.

    Gu Juan, the Republic's final hope, lost a closely-contested singles match to Thailand's world No. 11 Porntip Buranaprasertsuk 25-23, 21-18.

    While the shuttlers made the trip on their own initiative, Neo felt extra guidance could have made a difference.

    She said: "A coach would have been able to talk to us at some points ... if there's only the two of us, if one panics, the other will also panic."

    Neo, though, enjoyed the atmosphere in the West Midlands and said the opportunity to take on stronger opponents would add to her experience.

    "It's the All-England, so it's definitely an honour to play here," said Neo.

    "It's a learning experience because we've never played the Indonesian pair before, so hopefully next time we meet them, we will be able to beat them.

    "It was good sparring because we have very few sparring sessions in Singapore and if we do, we always play among ourselves.

    "To be able to play against the higher seeds and better players, we sort of know what we have to improve on and better our game."

    In the biggest upset of the tournament so far, Li Xuerui, the Olympic and the defending All-England champion, suffered a stunning defeat when she lost in the first round.

    Li, widely regarded as the sport's outstanding female player after her triumph at the London Games seven months ago, went down 21-18, 21-18 to Bae Yeon Ju, the world No. 13 from South Korea.


    National badminton mixed doubles pair Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Vanessa Neo are currently ranked ninth in the world, thanks to a fine run of quarter-final appearances at Super Series-level events.
     

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  2. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Yong-sung weaving his magic in Singapore

    The Star Online

    Friday March 22, 2013




    [​IMG]

    SURABAYA: It looks like Malaysia’s loss will be Singapore’s gain as the Islanders have now appointed South Korean Yoo Yong-sung (pic) as their doubles head coach.

    The two-time Olympic silver medallist was assistant to Malaysia’s doubles head coach Tan Kim Her.

    But he had a fallout with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last May and quit in a huff. BAM have since hired Indonesian Paulus Firman as doubles coach.

    And Yong-sung is now working wonders for Singapore.

    Yesterday, Singapores top men’s pair – world No. 61 Terry Yeo-Liu Yi — defied the odds when they came back from a game down to stun world No. 12 VladimirIvanov-Ivan Sozonov of Russia, playing for the Europe All Stars team.

    Terry-Liu Yi won 17-21, 21-16, 21-19 in the fourth match of the tie, which proved to be the winning point for Singapore who overcame the Europeans 3-1.

    And Terry immediately credited Yong-sung’s coaching for their excellent display.

    “We’ve definitely improved a lot with the new coach and we now enter a match feeling more confident,” said Terry.

    “I never really thought that we’ll be able to defeat the Russians because we only went into the match with the mindset of trying to do well. It’s realy a good result.

    “This is just our first tournament of the year as we’ve been training hard for the past month under the new coach and it is nice to see some results.

    “I believe the Axiata Cup has given us an opportunity to shine and we’re really looking forward to our next match,” added Terry.

    Earlier, Singapore scored two points through the efforts of mixed doubles pair Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Vanessa Neo and men’s singles shuttler Ashton Chen, who defeated Nathan Robertson-Jenny Wallwork and Scott Evans respectively.

    Spain’s Carolina Marin had delivered the first point for Europe by defeating Xing Aiying 21-12, 21-12 in the opening tie.


    In other ties, hosts Indonesia flexed their muscles on home ground as they crushed an inexperienced Vietnam side 4-0.

    Ricky Karanda Suwardi-Bellaetri Manuputri gave them the lead by beating Duong Bao Duc-Thai Thi Hong Gan 21-12, 21-13 in the mixed doubles before Simon Santoso made it 2-0 by defeating Nguyen Hoang Nam 21-14, 21-10.

    Women singles shuttler Aprilia Yuswandari then edged Vu Thi Trang 25-23, 21-18 before men’s pair Suwardi-Muhammad Ullinuha sealed the victory by beating Bao Minh-Huyh Nguyen Khang 21-14, 21-14.



    [​IMG]
     
  3. Justin L

    Justin L Regular Member

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    Still waiting and hoping that the Singapore professional players thread is re-opened. Looking forward to it. Many thanks to uncle loh for all the posts and updates.
     
  4. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    I hope the 'boss' heard your plea. ;)

    More so since you've made it more than once.
     
  5. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Shake-up in Singapore's women's doubles team

    The pairing of Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari has been temporarily dissolved as the Singapore Badminton Association aims to bring the sport to a higher level.

    POSTED: 02 May 2013 11:25 PM


    SINGAPORE: The pairing of Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari has been temporarily dissolved as the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) aims to bring the sport to a higher level.

    The successful duo is ranked 15th in the world.

    Yao and Shinta won silver medals during the 2009 SEA Games and 2010 Commonwealth Games.

    The pair also won the 2010 Li-Ning Singapore Open.

    SBA's chief executive officer, Bobby Lee said they are exploring the possibility of pairing one of the players with 2011 SEA Games gold medallist Fu Mingtian.

    He said: “We felt that Yao Lei and Shinta perhaps have reached a plateau. A lot of the players already know their playing style, so we want to try something else.

    "We brought back Mingtian to join the doubles team and we want to see whether between Mingtian, Vanessa, Yao Lei and Shinta, our four best doubles players, how they are going to team up to bring Singapore doubles to the next level.”


    - CNA/ck



    Yao Lei (File photo: Singapore Sports Council)

    Shinta Mulia Sari (File photo: Singapore Sports Council)
     

    Attached Files:

    #25 Loh, May 2, 2013
    Last edited: May 2, 2013
  6. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Singapore Open may see change in dates

    The Straits Times


    Monday, May 06, 2013


    SINGAPORE - The Li-Ning Singapore Open may be played in April instead of its traditional June dates from next year.

    The marquee badminton event will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from June 18 to 23 this year, but the competition is scheduled for April 8 to 13 next year on the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) calendar.

    When contacted, Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) chief executive officer Bobby Lee said: "The dates are not confirmed yet as we have not signed the contract with the BWF."

    Added SBA secretary general Michael Foo (right): "We want to do some tweaking of the dates and try to get the best dates for Singapore."

    It is understood that the move was mooted by the BWF at the start of the year, ahead of the next cycle of the Osim BWF World Superseries tournaments from next year to 2017.

    Last September, Singapore put in a bid to host the higher- tier Superseries Premier tournament - which boasts of higher prize money and ranking points, and is mandatory for all top 10 singles and doubles players.

    While they failed in their bid - China, Denmark, England, Malaysia and Indonesia got the nod - Singapore retained its Superseries status for the next four years.

    Superseries and Superseries Premier events in the same region are typically "paired" to maximise players' trips to different parts of the world.

    The Singapore Open is currently paired with the highertier Indonesia Open, with the possibility of marquee players such as world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei and Chinese world No. 2 Chen Long considering a detour to the Republic en route to the compulsory Indonesia Open.

    Said Mohan Dharan, Li-Ning Singapore Open's tournament director: "For now we are paired with Indonesia and not all the top players who have to go there will win.

    "Since they have travelled to Indonesia, they may consider coming to Singapore to win some prize money, since (top players) Lee Chong Wei or Chen Long may not come."

    However, the Republic will be paired with the India Open - another Superseries tournament - next year, raising the possibility that marquee players may skip both tournaments altogether.

    sayheng@sph.com.sg


    (L-R) Mr Micheal Foo, Secrectary-General, SBA, Mr Francis Koh, Chairman, Organising Committee Li-Ning Singapore Open 2013 and Mr Lee Yi Shyan, President, SBA.

     

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  7. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    S'pore shuttler will not defend SEA Games singles title

    By Lim Say Heng

    The New Paper
    Monday, May 06, 2013


    SINGAPORE - She created a slice of local sporting history at the 2011 South-east Asia (SEA) Games when she won the Republic's first-ever badminton women's singles gold.
    But shuttler Fu Mingtian will not defend her crown at the Games this December in Myanmar.

    The reigning Sportswoman of the Year has converted to a doubles player since late February and most recently competed in the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold, where she and Shinta Mulia Sari lost to Malaysian third seeds Goh Liu Ying and Lim Yin Loo 21-15, 21-17 in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

    Said Fu, who will turn 23 next month: "After the 2011 SEA Games, I felt that I have plateaued in the singles and didn't play well last year, which affected my confidence. I've always thought doubles is more fun and made the decision after consulting the coaches and officials.

    "While it would have been nice to defend my SEA Games title, I will still try my best to qualify (for the doubles) and do well at the Games this year."

    Odd number

    Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) chief executive officer Bobby Lee added: "On the SBA side, we've always had a problem with our doubles team because we have an odd number of players.

    "Since Mingtian was also an ex-world junior doubles champion, we thought of bringing her back to that, and coincidentally, we have a new coach who is willing to try out new partnerships."

    Lee is referring to South Korean Yoo Yong Sung, who was brought in by the national sports association in January this year to replace Eng Hian, who had returned to Indonesia the month before.

    Fu will compete at the Li-Ning Singapore Open next month as a doubles player, although her playing partner has not been fixed.



    Former junior doubles world champion Fu Mingtian's switch to doubles could spell trouble for her rivals at the upcoming SEA Games.
     

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  8. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Gu: I'm getting closer to first title

    By David Lee

    The New Paper
    Tuesday, May 07, 2013

    So near yet so far.

    Singapore's top-ranked female shuttler Gu Juan came up short in her quest to win a major title when she lost in a tight three-set women's singles final at the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold yesterday. (Actually on Sat May 04, 2013)

    The 22-year-old fifth seed pushed top seed and world No. 13 P V Sindhu from India to the limit in Kuala Lumpur before losing 17-21, 21-17, 19-21.

    Despite the setback, Gu is confident that it won't be long before she wins her first senior title.

    She told The New Paper: "Of course, I will feel disappointed to lose in a final, but overall, I'm pleased with my performance."

    "I feel that my fitness levels have improved and, if I can still work on that and my mental strength, I believe I'm close to winning my first tournament."

    Yesterday's final was the fourth time in five matches at the US$120,000 ($148,000) BWF Grand Prix Gold event - a third-tier tournament behind Super Series Premier and Super Series - that the world No. 27 has been taken to three sets.

    Singapore Badminton Association senior technical manager Chua Yong Joo praised Gu for her improved fitness and mental levels.

    He said: "She has had a tough tournament, being taken to the deciding set in so many matches."

    "We are glad she lasted all the way to the final."
     

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  9. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Gu Juan's Journey at the Malaysia GPG 2013

    http://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/s...BB3EE73-7184-441E-A157-6F75976BA730&player=78

    Juan GU


    [​IMG]
    View profile
    http://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/profile/overview.aspx?id=1B38E89D-6E83-4B8F-A251-C513A0056F6E

    Yonex Sunrise Malaysia Grand Prix Gold 2013

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    (It had been an exhausting tournament for Gu Juan but she was strong enough to fight to the end. Kudos to her!

    All her opponents are formidable but her triumphs over Cheng SC and Busanan are noteworthy. )
     
    #29 Loh, May 6, 2013
    Last edited: May 6, 2013
  10. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Gu: I'm getting closer to first title ...2

    The New Paper

    Wednesday, May 08, 2013

    So near yet so far.


    Singapore's top-ranked female shuttler Gu Juan came up short in her quest to win a major title when she lost in a tight threeset women's singles final at the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold on Saturday.

    The 22-year-old fifth seed pushed top seed and world No. 13 P V Sindhu from India to the limit in Kuala Lumpur before losing 17-21, 21-17, 19-21.

    Despite the setback, Gu is confident that it won't be long before she wins her first senior title.

    She told The New Paper: "Of course, I will feel disappointed to lose in a final, but overall, I'm pleased with my performance.

    "I feel that my fitness levels have improved and, if I can still work on that and my mental strength, I believe I'm close to winning my first tournament."

    Saturday's final was the fourth time in five matches at the US$120,000 ($148,000) BWF Grand Prix Gold event - a third-tier tournament behind Super Series Premier and Super Series - that the world No. 27 has been taken to three sets.

    Singapore Badminton Association senior technical manager Chua Yong Joo praised Gu for her improved fitness and mental levels.

    He said: "She has had a tough tournament, being taken to the deciding set in so many matches.

    "We are glad she lasted all the way to the final.


    "In her last few competitions, she didn't do that well and lost in the opening rounds.

    "But there is this new-found fighting spirit about her and she looks really motivated to do well in the upcoming Sudirman Cup, Li-Ning Singapore Open and the South-east Asia (SEA) Games.

    "Her good performance at the Malaysia Open was a good test and a good build-up for what is to come next."

    Following Fu Mingtian's switch to become a doubles player, Gu is now the Republic's top singles player.

    She reached the last eight in last year's All-England Championships, beating the then-world No. 8 Bae Youn Joo of South Korea along the way, and Gu feels that she can only get better.

    She said: "There is pressure carrying the hopes of the country at these tournaments and the SEA Games, but it is normal.

    "It does bother me a little not to have won anything yet, but I won't be thinking about this during competitions.

    "I feel confident about my own abilities and I will make a breakthrough sooner or later, as long as I continue to work hard in training every day."
     

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  11. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Fuji Xerox gives Singapore Badminton Association $35,000 boost in sponsorship

    Published on May 07, 2013
    8:02 PM


    [​IMG]

    National Mixed Doubles shuttlers, Vanessa Neo and Danny Bawa Chrisnanta at the Celebration of 10 Years of Success. Fuji Xerox Printer Channel have become the latest corporation to join the Singapore Badminton Association's (SBA) Adopt A Player scheme, adopting the Republic's top mixed doubles pair. -- BH PHOTO: TUKIMAN WARJI


    By May Chen

    Fuji Xerox Printer Channel have become the latest corporation to join the Singapore Badminton Association's (SBA) Adopt A Player scheme, adopting the Republic's top mixed doubles pair Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Vanessa Neo.

    The Japan-based company presented a $35,000 sponsorship to SBA's chief executive officer Bobby Lee on Tuesday.

    Other than supporting the world No. 11 duo, the remainder of the amount will go into supporting the inaugural Corporate League that the SBA is organising this year.

    Said Vincent Sim, general manager of Fuji Xerox Printer Channel (Asean): "(We) would like to strengthen our commitment to our local community by partnering SBA.
     
  12. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: S'porean may compete in women's, mixed doubles at 2016 Olympics

    By Patwant Singh
    POSTED: 08 May 2013 12:02 AM


    Singaporean shuttler Vanessa Neo is gunning for glory at the 2016 Rio Olympics. The 25-year-old might be vying for honours in two categories, in both the women's and mixed doubles categories



    [​IMG]
    Bobby Lee



    SINGAPORE: Singaporean shuttler Vanessa Neo is gunning for glory at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

    The 25-year-old might be vying for honours in two categories, in both the women's and mixed doubles categories.

    Neo and her mixed doubles partner Danny Bawa Chrisnanta got a boost ahead of their 2016 Olympic campaign - a S$20,000, two-year sponsorship from Fuji Xerox, under the Adopt-a-Player scheme.

    There are big hopes for the former Raffles Girls' School student, who quit junior college to concentrate on the game.

    Bobby Lee, CEO of Singapore Badminton Association, said:"In the last two tournaments, Vanessa partnered Yao Lei in the doubles, in the last tournament at the Malaysian GP Gold, they reached all the way to the semi-finals. This is only their second competition together, so we are actually quite happy with their performance. We hope they will continue from there and see where we can go with this new doubles partnership."

    For now, Yao's former partner Shinta Mulia Sari will team up with Fu Mingtian.
    The Singapore Badminton Association thinks that the Yao-Shinta partnership had plateaued in 2011.

    The new partnership will be a final shot at Olympic excellence for Neo, who narrowly missed the London Games.

    Currently ranked 11th in the mixed doubles, she is looking at improving in both categories.

    She said: “I have been playing mixed doubles for the past three years. Definitely I am more comfortable playing mixed doubles, but no preference actually. I will do my best in whatever they pair me up with."

    The Singapore Open in June and the SEA Games in December are among the competitions being lined up for the new doubles pairings.


    - CNA/xq
     
  13. amleto

    amleto Regular Member

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    If I was interested in a singapore RSS feed, I'd set one up myself!
     
  14. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    New local pairs set for big test

    Singapore Badminton Association's technical director Yoo Yong Sung has been experimenting with new doubles partnerships for the national team. He had previously coached the South Korean national team.

    By Lim Say Heng
    The New Paper
    Sunday, May 19, 2013


    Since his appointment in January, Singapore Badminton Association technical director (doubles) Yoo Yong Sung has been experimenting with new doubles partnerships in the national team.

    After about four months of training and playing in smaller-scale tournaments, the new-look national team will face their toughest test, yet, at the Li-Ning Singapore Open at the Indoor Stadium from June 18 to 23.

    Among the new pairings are the women's doubles tandem of Fu Mingtian and Shinta Mulia Sari, and Vanessa Neo and Yao Lei.

    The New Paper reported earlier this month that Fu, who turns 23 on June 27, will not defend her Southeast Asia (SEA) Games women's singles title in December in Myanmar after switching to doubles.

    She partnered Shinta, who played at the London Olympics last year with Yao Lei, at the National Championships and at the Malaysia Grand Prix Gold last month.

    Fu, the reigning Sportswoman of the Year, will partner Terry Hee in the mixed doubles.
    She said: "Having partnered both Terry and Shinta before, our chemistry has definitely improved after the previous tournaments.


    "I'm looking forward to putting on a good performance at our home ground and hope that our fans can come down to support us."

    Neo, 25, will continue her mixed doubles partnership with Danny Bawa Chrisnanta, but will forge a new women's doubles team with Yao Lei.

    She partnered Thng Ting Ting at last year's Singapore Open.
     
  15. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    Badminton: Gu Juan is S'pore's lone winner in 4-1 Sudirman Cup defeat by Denmark

    Published on May 19, 2013
    4:14 PM


    [​IMG]

    Women's singles player Gu Juan (above) posted Singapore's lone victory in their Sudirman Cup opening tie against Denmark, beating Line Kjaersfeldt 21-16, 21-12. -- TNP FILE PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR


    By May Chen


    Women's singles player Gu Juan posted Singapore's lone victory in their Sudirman Cup opening tie against Denmark, beating Line Kjaersfeldt 21-16, 21-12.

    But the Republic, ranked 14th in the world and playing in the top tier of the world mixed team competition for the first time, could not overcome the Danes in the other matches and went down 1-4.

    Danny Bawa Chrisnanta and Vanessa Neo were beaten 21-11, 21-17 by world No. 4 Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Christinna Pedersen in the mixed doubles.

    Chrisnanta and Terry Yeo were also no match for the world's top men's doubles pair, losing 10-21, 12-21 to Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen.


    (To be fair, Derek Wong took the first game against higher ranked Jan Jorgensen in MS and our new WD pair of Yao Lei and Vanessa Neo gave P Christinna and JK Rytter a good fight

    For the record, detailed results follow:

    [TABLE="class: ruler matches"]
    Match overview [TR]
    [TD]Order[/TD]
    [TD]Event[/TD]
    [TD="align: right"]DENMARK (DEN)[​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [TD]-[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] SINGAPORE (SIN)[/TD]
    [TD]Score[/TD]
    [TD]Points[/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [TD][/TD]
    [TD="align: right"]Duration[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD]1[/TD]
    [TD]XD[/TD]
    [TD="align: right"][TABLE]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD="align: right"]Fischer Nielsen Joachim[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD="align: right"]Pedersen Christinna[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD="align: center"]-[/TD]
    [TD][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Chrisnanta Danny Bawa[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Neo Yu Yan Vanessa[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD]21-11 21-17[/TD]
    [TD]1-0[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD="align: right"]0:33[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR="bgcolor: #FDFDFD"]
    [TD]2[/TD]
    [TD]MS[/TD]
    [TD="align: right"][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD="align: right"]Jorgensen Jan O[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD="align: center"]-[/TD]
    [TD][TABLE]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Wong Zi Liang Derek[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD]17-21 21-9 21-13[/TD]
    [TD]1-0[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD="align: right"]0:49[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD]3[/TD]
    [TD]MD[/TD]
    [TD="align: right"][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD="align: right"]Mogensen Carsten[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD="align: right"]Boe Mathias[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD="align: center"]-[/TD]
    [TD][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Chrisnanta Danny Bawa[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Yeo Zhao Jiang Terry[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD]21-10 21-12[/TD]
    [TD]1-0[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD="align: right"]0:27[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD]4[/TD]
    [TD]WS[/TD]
    [TD="align: right"][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD="align: right"]Kjaersfeldt Line[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD="align: center"]-[/TD]
    [TD][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Gu Juan[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD]16-21 12-21[/TD]
    [TD]0-1[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD="align: right"]0:26[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR="bgcolor: transparent"]
    [TD]5[/TD]
    [TD]WD[/TD]
    [TD="align: right"][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD="align: right"]Pedersen Christinna[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD="align: right"]Juhl Kamilla Rytter[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][DEN] [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD="align: center"]-[/TD]
    [TD][TABLE]
    [TR]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Neo Yu Yan Vanessa[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [TR]
    [TD][​IMG][SIN] [/TD]
    [TD]Yao Lei[/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
    [/TD]
    [TD]21-19 21-18[/TD]
    [TD]1-0[/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD][​IMG][/TD]
    [TD="align: right"]0:40
    [/TD]
    [/TR]
    [/TABLE]
     
  16. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    New challenge awaits 2010 Singapore Open winners

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Photo: Wee Teck Hian SOURCE:MediaCorp Press Ltd



    By Low Lin Fhoong

    28 May

    SINGAPORE — Three years ago, women’s doubles pair Yao Lei and Shinta Mulia Sari were the toast of the local sports community when they clinched the Republic’s first Singapore Open title in 20 years as well as a silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. But things started going downhill for the duo after that.

    Once ranked as high as eighth in the world, Yao and Shinta managed only one tournament win the following year, at the 2011 Indian Open Grand Prix. They also crashed out of the group stages of the London Olympics after losing all three of their matches, and their ranking has since plummeted to 20th.

    So, Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) technical adviser Yoo Yong Sung decided to dissolve the partnership last month and give them new playing partners.

    Yao, 23, is now paired with mixed doubles specialist Vanessa Neo, while Shinta has been paired with 2011 SEA Games singles champion Fu Mingtian, who switched to doubles in February.

    Said Yoo, a two-time Olympic doubles silver medallist who joined the SBA in February: “A new Olympic cycle has started, so I want to try out new partnerships first. With Mingtian switching over, I have four players who can form two pairs of women’s doubles. This will create more competition within the women’s doubles.”

    Yoo has also introduced an endurance training programme, which will have players running between 3.2km and 4km six times a week to boost their fitness levels.


    After a shaky start, the partnerships appear to be bearing fruit.

    Although both pairs made first-round exits at the Badminton Asia Championships in April, Yao and Neo subsequently reached the semi-finals of the Malaysia Open Grand Prix, which was also held last month, while Shinta and Fu advanced to the quarter-finals. Indeed, their recent results have boosted Yao and Shinta’s confidence heading into next month’s Li-Ning Singapore Open.

    Said Shinta, 24: “After spending so much time playing with Yao Lei, I was sad to see the partnership end.

    “I think we were too stressed and wanted to do well during the Olympic Games. Our spirits were very down after that as we weren’t performing.

    “However, my partnership with Mingtian has been progressing well. I hope to put in a better performance in the Singapore Open and hopefully, we can win the title.”

    Yao said she understood why the SBA split her and Shinta up, and she is hoping for her new partnership with Neo to rejuvenate her doubles career. “We need a little bit more time and communication and also to compete a lot more,” said the 25-year-old.

    “There will be a lot of strong players at the Singapore Open, but I feel confident of our chances and we want to go as far as we can.”

    Yoo said he will be satisfied if both pairs can reach the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open.

    After all, the field will include China’s world No 1 pair Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and 2012 Olympic Games gold medallists Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei, and Japan’s world No 2 duo, Takahashi Ayaka and Matsutomo Misaki.

    But Yoo, who is from South Korea, is also targeting medal glory at the SEA and Commonwealth Games.

    “The pairs still need to work on their combination with their partners and the soft skills on court,” he said.

    “This is the first SuperSeries (Singapore Open) for the two pairs, so I hope they can reach the quarter-finals. We are also hoping to win a medal at this year’s SEA Games and next year’s Commonwealth Games.”
     
  17. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    ‘Tough’ for Singapore to produce world champs

    [​IMG]

    Malaysian Badminton player Lee Chong Wei at Singapore Sports School. Photo: Wee Teck Hian



    Many parents emphasise studies, says World No 1 badminton player




    • By Dan Guen Chin

      9 hours 59 min ago

      SINGAPORE — He may have been at the Singapore Sports School yesterday morning to give a talk to its student-athletes on what it takes to become a sports champion. But world No 1 badminton player Lee Chong Wei reckons that even with a specialised school for developing young sporting talents, it is still difficult for Singapore to regularly produce world-class athletes and world champions.

      This is because parents would prefer their children to focus on their studies instead of pursuing sports as a professional care er.

      “I don’t blame Singapore parents for having this attitude. I am a parent too and I know how important it is for my children to do well in their studies,” said the 31-year-old Malaysian, who has a two-month-old son, Kingston, from his marriage to former Malaysian women’s No 1 Wong Mew Choo.

      “As long as this mindset persists, it will be difficult to produce a world champion.

      “After all, there is no guarantee that your child, no matter how talented he or she is, will go on to become a champion in sports.

      “But people all know that if you work hard in school, the chances of you doing well in life are bright.”
      Yet, this is not a problem that plagues only Singapore, said the two-time All-England champion and two-time Olympic men’s singles silver medallist, who was speaking to the media before his talk at the Sports School’s Lesson From the Champions series yesterday.

      “My country also struggles to produce world-class players consistently even though we have far better training facilities all over the country and a bigger population compared to Singapore. The problem is the same: Studies come first.
      After all, how many countries can be like China? Sports officials there can recruit nine-year-olds and send them for full-time training, and not worry about the child’s future in studies. But Singapore and Malaysia or, for that matter, many other countries won’t do that.”

      However, Lee also felt that what compounds Singapore’s difficulty in producing world champions in badminton is the Singapore Badminton Association’s recruitment of foreign-born players for the national squad.

      “My view is that this causes the locals to feel that they cannot compete,” he observed. “So, that’s probably one reason why Singapore has not been able to produce a local-born player of world-class standards.”

      (LCW misses the point that good foreign-born players can help raise local standards, especially when few local-born are willing to take up the game professionally, preferring to concentrate on their studies instead as he has said.)


      Lee also told TODAY that while he had previously indicated he would retire at the end of next year, he is considering competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics in a final bid to win a first Olympic gold medal.
      My greatest worry actually is not my age, it’s injury,” said Lee, who will compete in the World Championships in August, and the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year.
      “These days, the body recovers more slowly. So I have to be careful. That is why I have to be selective about my tournaments, and skip some, including the Singapore Open. If I can stay injury-free and feel fresh after 2014, then the Rio Olympics is a possibility.”
     
  18. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    What makes a Champion?

    As badminton fans, we hope our own athletes can make it to the podium and receive the highest accolades and win as many titles.

    But in badminton, we have not been rewarded for some time now and are hoping that our best candidate, Gu Juan, can make it soon, at least in the regional games like the Southeast Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, apart from some minor BWF tournaments like the GPs. Winning some of these will boost her confidence. To achieve the Olympic gold will need much more commitment, will power and sacrifice from our players.

    Gu Juan has recently been showing great promise in the recent BWF tournaments, but alas she fizzled out when it counted most. The most glaring example was when she lost to Sindhu in the recent Malaysian Open finals, 21-17, 17-21, 21-19, despite leading in the final game. Somehow she failed to capitalize and I feel this is largedly due to her lack of confidence. Which also makes her afraid to attack more with her smash when the opportunity arises. When she has mastered this aspect of her mental training, I think her winning ways will return.

    I recall an article on football which I read recently, and I think this also applies to individual sports like badminton:

    "Look no further than Manchester United's epic last minute triumph in the 1999 Champion's League final. 1-0 down with three minutes to go, the English club scored two late goals to secure a dramatic 2-1 win.

    But these are not flukes or acts of chance. They are due to supreme levels of football conditioning.
    The best teams in the world are trained so that even with just a few minutes to go they still have the physical and mental strength to score that decisive goal (or in Manchester United's case, two!).

    To make it in today's game the modern day player is required to be a full time, dedicated athlete. Speed, power, strength and stamina are attributes required to succeed."

    Gu Juan has improved by leaps and bounds in fitness and technique but her mental conditioning has not caught up. That's my observation. :(
     
  19. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    SBA chief calls for review after hosts' poor showing

    Singapore Badminton Association President Lee Yi Shyan will be conducting an internal review of his association's players and management to assess training methodologies and the effectiveness of player-coach communication. This comes about as Singapore's local shuttlers performed below expectations at the Li-Ning Singapore Open.


    By May Chen
    The Straits Time
    Wednesday, Jun 26, 2013

    SINGAPORE - Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) president Lee Yi Shyan is planning an internal review of the sport, following the dismal performances of local shuttlers at the Li-Ning Singapore Open.

    Despite fielding a team of 23 in the home event, which concluded yesterday, no Singaporean made the quarter-final stage of the tournament, the country's worst showing since at least the 2006 edition.

    "Naturally, we are quite disappointed," Mr Lee, who is also Senior Minister of State for National Development, and Trade and Industry, told The Straits Times.
    "The results speak for themselves."

    He had held high hopes, in particular, for the women's singles, after Gu Juan - the Republic's top woman shuttler at No. 22 - beat world No. 4 Saina Nehwal earlier this month. Xing Aiying, ranked 42nd, also made the semi-finals of the women's singles last year.

    But both crashed out in the first round, with Gu unable to repeat her feat over Nehwal and Xing losing to Japan's No. 34 Kaori Imabeppu.

    Over the past six months, the singles players, in particular, have also struggled to make it past the last 16 in any Superseries-level (second tier) or Grand Prix Gold (third tier) tournaments.

    Gu's runner-up finish at the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold last month is the only exception.

    Said Mr Lee: "The trend has not been favourable. We really have to figure out the reasons why. There's quite a serious review that we have to do, to take stock of what we could have done better... (and) move our team forward."

    He plans to put his team - both players and management - under scrutiny, examining if training methodologies are on the right track and also re-looking tournament plans for every player.
    Mr Lee also hinted that the review will assess the effectiveness of player-coach communications.

    He said: "(We will look at whether) we have the right environment that can motivate and bring out the best in players.

    "We will not hesitate, if we feel it is necessary, to make changes."
     

    Attached Files:

  20. Loh

    Loh Regular Member

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    What is your view BC Singapore and others?

    Maybe this is a chance for BC Singapore and others to air their views and make suggestions for improvement.

    My view:

    1. To be fair, Singapore has never been in contention in the badminton world for a long, long time. Apart from Gu Juan's progress the others are not moving forward as much. The men's department is the worst.

    2. Worse still the other players in the region, particularly Thailand and Indonesia, are improving very fast and making it very difficult for Singapore to catch up, unless our players are as motivated and hardworking and having the passion and desire to win. Still our players have to work doubly hard to attain the higher standards and this takes time. Are they willing to sacrifice? Do they consider the rewards worth the price?

    3. The luck of the draw was against Gu Juan in the recent SO as she had to face Saina Nehwal (2) in R32 and she lost 21-14, 23-21 eventually. SN had been waiting to take revenge on GJ after her Thailand Open QF defeat. Despite poor form attributed much to fatigue, SN reached the QF when she was beaten by INA's Lindaweni Fanetri in three games. But SN herself is now down to WR4 from WR2.

    4. GJ has not won any international title yet despite being the best hope for Singapore and her form seems to be slipping. As I have commented before, she needs to be a more aggressive player rather than a defensive one and her mental confidence needs to be sharpened.

    5. Apart from Xing Aiying, we have no other WS player of substance to match the international barrage. Aiying is the most experienced, yet she has underperformed so many times. Of course our MS is even worse.

    6. As for our WD and XD pairings, they are relative new and some are still under experimentation. So it may not be fair to pass judgement at this stage. And a number of the men players are not reasonably exposed internationally.

    7. When I look at the US Open entry list, I'm quite surprised to see a number of Singapore players being entered. Yes competition is needed as part of the training programme, but if our players are so weak as evidenced by their performance in recent BWF tournaments, is it not better for them to train harder at home than to be knocked out in the early rounds overseas, at quite a cost? Maybe some should be entered for lesser tournaments, let them gain the confidence of winning matches and better still of being champions.

    The SO is a superseries tournament regarded as very competitive, more so than the grand prix events. So players must be of a certain high standard to hope to achieve something here.

    8. Some of our coaches are relatively new and have to take time to settle in. Communication could be a disadvantage as some players and coaches may not be as conversant in English and Mandarin. So again time is needed to allow our qualified coaches to do a proper job.

    9. When the SBA headquarters was sold and players have to adjust to new surroundings, first at the Singapore Sports School and then at the new SBA Hall now, this must have adversely affected players' identity, common destiny, unity and togetherness like a family. They can no longer call a home of their own. When can the SBA resolve this problem? Will there be a permanent place for SBA at the new Kallang Sports Hub?

    10. Unlike many of our neighbours we don't have a big base of badminton talents to work on. More so, SBA must think of ways of how to improve a continuous supply from the schools especially. Rember there are competitive demands from other sports and activities.

    We have school tournaments, but after the competition, what happens to most of the players? Are there programmes or incentives to keep them together and continue to train? How effective are the current programmes? Do we have qualified officials and helpers like the parents, to ensure that these remain an on-going basis, all year round? How to woo parents to support the SBA on a more permanent basis? Table tennis seems to be doing a decent job.

    Does the SBA have systematic plans to improve the quality of coaches, officials like umpires and line judges, and administrative support? Are there specific committees to look into this and the welfare of players as well?

    These are just some of my thoughts. Your views and suggestions are welcome.
     

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